A quilting triangle challenge

The Exe Valley Contemporary Quilt Group displayed their triangle challenge quilts at the 2026 Newark Quilt Show, and the results were thought provoking as perhaps not all of the triangles were quite what you’d think. Many quilting blocks use triangles, notably the half square triangle, which is pretty self descriptive. But the group’s challenge allowed any medium or technique, and the only criterion was that the quilt should include at least one recognisable triangle of any size.

I loved to see how the individual quilters interpreted the challenge, and I hope you do too. The challenges are set by members and quilters from across the region from North Dorset to South Cornwall participated.

Here’s some of the ones I loved from the display:

LET’S GO FLY A KITE BY SALLY HARRADINE

If triangles were the challenge my mind wouldn’t automatically go to kites, but the inspiration for this one came from looking out the window on a blowy day and thinking that it would be fun to fly kites with the grandchildren - and so the triangles are incorporated in amongst the kites, in what I think is a really effective and dreamy looking quilt.

I’ll admit that the next one is my favourite from this display, I love its contemporary-ness, plus it uses scraps and simple stitches, and hand sewing - all of which appeal to me.

TWELVE TRIANGLES BY JANE SYERS

TWELVE TRIANGLES BY JANE SYERS

But look at the detail, and how the triangles are included. So very clever, meets the brief in a quiet and understated but also impactful way. Bravo!

NOT SO TRADITIONAL HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLES BY PENNY KUROWSKI

NOT SO TRADITIONAL HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLES BY PENNY KUROWSKI

I mentioned half square triangles at the top of this post, and this quilt uses them in a not so traditional way, again with scraps but also the plain triangle is organza, which is way harder to sew with so I take my hat off to this quilter and her shimmery creation.

COLOURS OF ANDALUCIA BY MANDY WINTER

I love the colours and patterns in this quilt which is inspired by visits to Spain, and influenced by and created in the style of artist Poul Webb. The triangles form the sky and the grassland, but also the mountains are kind of triangles too right?

So it just goes to show, not all triangles are equal, or even equilateral!

A quilty update - June 2026

It was only March when I set out my quilt plans for this year, and to be honest it seems like yesterday - but one of the things I want to do more consistently this year is my quilty updates, even if there isn’t that much to share.

I’m being harsh on myself, there are some quilt updates to share but while last year’s stretch project took over a bit, I’m finding that without that structure I’m not quite so productive. I’m sure I’ll work it out, but hopefully when the weather’s not so warm!

So how am I doing?

1. The teal flying geese

2. The jeans and pyjamas

3. My floral fancy

The update for all of these is there is no update, so that was easy!

4. My English Paper Piecing (EPP) blue diamonds

There is progress of sorts on this one, albeit small. It’s become my project to take to my monthly Monday evening sewing group, and so it has had an outing and a small update. I’ve even moved it into an organised bag so I don’t need to think about getting it all together before I head out, the issue has been life - and I’ve only managed two out of five of the monthly meetings, but then again this was always going to be a slow burn project.

5. Scrappy houses charity quilts

I have completed my first village quilt, and I’ve almost got enough houses for the second one, so that’s real progress. I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out, especially as these are all pieces of fabric that were leftover from other projects (mostly the stretch project) and might have been deemed on the small side for keeping. And I’m sure whoever the recipient is won’t mind about that one bit.

6. Wonderland meets Moda

7. Word Star

Again, there is no update on these.

A couple of bonus quilty updates

1. My mystery block of the month quilt has been playing heavily on my mind, but now the quilt top is finally finished. After I joined the monthly blocks together and added the sashing between those blocks, I spent some time pondering the borders - or specifically how wide they should be.

I wanted them wide enough to add some width to the quilt so I can use it on a double bed, but not so wide that it looked silly. In the end I settled on increasing each border by an inch, and ahead of adding the final border I did the sensible thing and took it to my patchwork group for confirmation and reassurance, and the use of the floor in the village hall to check it out once and for all.

So the quilt top is now done - yay! Now it needs basting, quilting and binding which for the size of the quilt is no small job.

2 The second bonus quilty update is another quilt, but not one made by me. Mum decided to use up some of her charm packs and make a quilt to donate to Project Linus, which I’ll take along with me when I donate mine.

Isn’t it bright and cheery - I love it (but will still donate it, honest)

So there has been quilty progress against my long list, and none of it has been a chore - I just need to work out how to do more with my sewing time, and to make time for more sewing time!

Two person quilts, double the skill

The two person quilts category was pretty self explanatory - it’s for quilts that have had two people work on them, that includes quilting whether that’s the result of pure collaboration or if the quilt has been professionally long armed (that’s when you send your quilt away to be quilted).

But the quilts were far from ordinary, like the other quilts on display they were full of imagination, inspiration and great work, and I really don’t think it matters that more than one person has worked on a quilt, but I guess in a competition it provides transparency.

As with the other categories the judges were looking for visual impact, the emotional response to the quilt, the composition and use of colour as well as its construction and accuracy of piecing, and no doubt much more. I’d be terrible as a judge as I liked pretty much every quilt, and as I walked around the show the ‘wows’ kept coming, in fact I think if I walked past the first quilts I saw I’d be even more wowed by them the second time I saw them!

But anyway, here’s my favourites in the two person quilts category.

GOLDEN WEDDING, EILEEN WING AND DEBBIE HOLLAND

I’m sure it will be a surprise to no one that this was one of my favourite quilts in the show - it uses yellows and oranges, is heart shaped and has a mix and match of blocks and an interesting background. Isn’t it lovely?

And as much as I love the ‘Golden Wedding’ quilt above, the winner in this category was entirely different and so intricate.

CATEGORY WINNER: TWO HALVES MAKE US WHOLE, CLAIRE WALLACE AND TELENE JEFFREY

It was one to stare and stare and admire the work, all of it.

As was this next one, just look at the detailed quilting on show. That alone boggles my mind, and that’s before you notice the design - this photo is just a quarter of the quilt, but the detail was lost in the whole quilt picture, and the detail needs to be seen.

DAISY, HELEN BROOKHAM AND SANDY CHANDLER

The final two quilts are a study in colour composition, both use more traditional quilt blocks and yet these appeal to me as much as the others I’ve included in this post.

JARDIN DES ETOILES, JAYNE TRUEMAN AND JO RIOUX

I loved the name of both of these, there’s a play on words for both of them. Above you have garden of the stars - and I can imagine each of those stars as flower beds with hedge borders around them as you see in so many French chateaus. And below, the name Time is so appropriate for the hourglass blocks.

TIME, JO MYHILL AND TEAMO QUILTING

I love the colours in this one two, and how my eye travels across the quilt tracing the shapes. And then looking more closely I see how the fabric is repeated, and how the backgrounds blend between a cream and a creamy white and to a light grey.

It’s an absolute dream, and as I said before I’d be no good judging any of the categories - all the quilts are just too lovely!